Press Releases

Today, as the House Appropriations Committee concluded its first week of FY 2021 funding bill markups, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) touted significant wins for Mainers and new investments to combat the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrants, our environment, and food insecure Americans, and the President’s defense of racist confederate statues.

“In the face of multiple crises, I am working with the House Appropriations Committee to prioritize investments that will prepare our nation for the uncertain year ahead. In Maine, we’re grappling with the impact of this economic downturn on our lobster industry, threats to the well-being of our veterans, and a dramatic spike in food insecurity. We also know the climate crisis remains a real threat to our future,” said Pingree. “The first five FY 2021 funding bills will make investments to mitigate these urgent problems plaguing our communities. I’m proud that these bills also take steps to combat the Trump Administration’s non-stop attacks on immigrants, our environment and food insecure Americans.” 

Next week, the full Appropriations Committee will approve the remaining seven appropriations bills that will fund the government for FY 2021. The full House of Representatives will consider all twelve bills for final passage in the coming weeks.

Highlights from the Fiscal Year 2021 Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA funding bill

• Includes Pingree’s amendment urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act on the President’s June 24 memorandum and provide immediate assistance to Maine’s lobster industry.
• Also includes an amendment encouraging USDA to increase purchases of fresh potatoes to address the current oversupply.
• Invests $1.055 billion in rural broadband programs, a $450 million increase over last year’s funding level.
• Provides $20 million for local food infrastructure and value-added processing.
• Contains several provisions based on Rep. Pingree’s Agriculture Resilience Act, including additional funding for USDA’s Regional Climate Hubs, support for food waste reduction efforts, and language directing USDA to expand its work on soil health and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
• Ensures strong support for organic agriculture, including increased funding for the National Organic Program and the Organic Transition Program.
• Halts two destructive Trump Administration rules that would cut food assistance for thousands of Maine families.

Highlights from the Fiscal Year 2021 Interior-Environment Funding Bill

• Provides $15 billion for COVID-19 emergency supplemental funds for investments in critical infrastructure, including drinking water and health facilities construction in Indian country.

• Stipulates that no funding may be used for new offshore oil and gas activities, including exploration and seismic airgun testing.
• Increases funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to $9.38 billion, including robust support for programs that support clean air and drinking water, environmental justice, and PFAS research.
• Increases funding for the National Park Service to $3.2 billion, including $1.3 to address the maintenance backlog and 1,200 new staff for park units.
• Increases funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities to $170 million.

Highlights from the Fiscal Year 2021Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

• Includes $160 million for the first installment of the dry dock modernization project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

• Increases funding for veterans’ mental health programs to $10.3 billion, nine percent over last year’s level, of which $1.9 billion is for suicide prevention and treatment programs.

• Increases funding for VA homeless assistance programs to $1.9 billion, four percent above last year’s level.

• Several provisions on military sexual trauma (MST), including to urge expansion of VA benefits for MST survivors, providing MST health care to servicemembers at all VA facilities, and broadening VA’s anti-sexual assault policy to all VA components.

Highlights from the Fiscal Year 2021 Legislative Branch Funding Bill

• Includes language directing the removal of statues from the U.S. Capitol complex of figures who participated in the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War.

Highlights from the Fiscal Year 2021 State and Foreign Operations Funding Bill

• Provides $10 billion for COVID-19 emergency supplemental funds, both to protect our diplomats and to support global health programs and refugee support.
• Includes $741 million for international exchange and cultural activities, rejecting a 58 percent cut sought by the Trump Administration.

• Includes $3.4 billion for refugee assistance, rejecting deep cuts proposed by the Trump Administration.

• Repeals the “Global Gag Rule” in order to provide international family planning assistance.

 

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